Department for Transport

Euston Station

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many station platforms are planned at Euston Station within the revised station design for (1) Network Rail Services, and (2) HS2 services.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The HS2 Station at Euston is planned to have 10 platforms. The Network Rail Station at Euston currently has 16 platforms.

Speed Limits

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce a default 20mph speed limit in England around all (1) schools, (2) university entrances, and (3) hospitals.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government does not have any plans to introduce default 20mph speed limits in England around schools, university entrances or hospitals. Local authorities have the power to set 20mph speed limits where people and traffic mix; they are best placed to determine the speed limits for their areas, based on local knowledge and the views of the community. They are asked to have regard to the Department for Transport’s guidance ‘Setting Local Speed Limits’, which is designed to make sure that speed limits are appropriately and consistently set while allowing the flexibility to deal with local circumstances. The final decision is for the traffic authority, working with the police who would carry out any enforcement.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Arts: EU Countries

The Earl of Clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the ability of UK creative professionals to undertake work in Europe was discussedunder the agenda item ‘Entry and temporary stay of natural persons for business purposes: implementation, transparency and sharing best practice’ at the Specialised Committee on Services, Investment and Digital Trade under the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement meeting held on 11 October.

Lord Callanan: At the meeting of the Specialised Committee on Services, Investment and Digital Trade on 11 October, the UK referred to touring artists in the context of the agenda item ‘Entry and temporary stay of natural persons for business purposes: implementation, transparency and sharing best practice’. The EU took note of the UK’s concerns. The minutes of the Committee meeting will be published in due course.

Specialised Committee On Services, Investment and Digital Trade

The Earl of Clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the minutes of the Specialised Committee on Services, Investment and Digital Trade under the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement held on 11 October will be published.

Lord Callanan: The minutes of the Specialised Committee on Services, Investment and Digital Trade under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement held on 11 October will be published in due course, on a date to be agreed with the EU Commission.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

Palace of Westminster: Females

Lord Blencathra: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what plans there are, if any, to replace the word ‘women’ with any other noun in any official documents, guides, signs, souvenirs, or any place where the word ‘women’ is currently used in the Palace of Westminster.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: There are no plans to replace the word ‘women’ with other nouns in House of Lords official documents, guides or souvenirs, or in the House of Lords parts of the Parliamentary Estate.

Treasury

Air Passenger Duty: Northern Ireland

Lord Kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Airport Passenger Duty is applied to internal flights from Northern Ireland within the UK; and if so, what plans there are for this to cease.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: Air Passenger Duty (APD) is a per-passenger tax levied on flights departing from UK airports, including those between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. At Budget, the Government announced that, from April 2023, it would introduce a new reduced domestic band of APD, covering flights between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, in order to support connectivity across the UK.

Assets and Bank Services: Hong Kong

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of (1) UK assets and bank accounts owned by officials of the government of Hong Kong, and (2) the UK property market’s exposure to the Evergrande liquidity crisis.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The Government does not comment on the financial positions of individuals. In its October 2021 record, the Financial Policy Committee of the Bank of England noted that “the interim results of the 2021 Solvency Stress Test indicate that the UK banking system is resilient to the direct effects of a severe downturn in China and Hong Kong, and sharp adjustments in global asset prices”.

Assets: China and Hong Kong

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of officials of the government of Hong Kong whose families hold UK citizenship; andwhat plans they have, if any, toaudit the UK assets of officials of the governments of (1) Hong Kong, and (2) China.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The Government does not assess the number of officials of the government of Hong Kong whose families hold UK citizenship. The Government does not comment on the financial positions of individuals.

Children: Day Care

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Centre for Progressive Policy report Women in the Workforce – Boosting Mothers’ employment and earnings, published on 14 October, and in particular the finding that the UK has the second lowest public spend on childcare among OECD economies.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: I welcome the report from the Centre for Progressive Policy on Women in the Workforce – Boosting Mothers’ employment and earnings. As the report highlights, inadequate childcare provision can act as a barrier to women’s participation in the labour market. This is why childcare policy in the UK is designed to provide working parents with support to continue to work. To support working parents with their childcare costs, the government introduced Tax-Free Childcare (TFC), which provides eligible working parents with 20% support on childcare costs, up to £2,000 per child per year (£4,000 for disabled children). The number of working parents benefiting from this is increasing: 308,000 families used TFC for 364,000 children in June 2021, up from 282,000 families using childcare for 329,000 children in March 2021. In addition to TFC, the government spent around £3.6bn in 20-21 on early childcare entitlements and we continue to support families with their childcare costs. All three- and four-year-olds can access 15 hours of free childcare per week, regardless of circumstance. Eligible working parents of three- and four-year-olds can also access an additional 15 hours of free childcare per week, also known as 30 hours free childcare. Some parents may also be able to access the disadvantaged 2-year-old offer which gives 15 hours of free childcare per week to 2-year-olds who meet certain social and economic criteria. This approach is working – evidence shows that the government approach to childcare is helping to improve the employment rate for married/cohabiting women with dependent children, which has risen to 77.9% in, up 0.6% on the year (Q2 2021 vs Q2 2020), and 1.1% pre-covid (Q2 2021 vs Q2 2019).

Income Tax

Lord Macpherson of Earl's Court: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much revenue would be raised by increasing the income tax rate applicable to Schedule A income by 1.25 per cent.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: As a result of the Tax Law Rewrite, taxation of Schedule A income for individuals was repealed in 2005, and for companies in 2009. As a result, it would only be possible to estimate the revenue raised through an increase to the tax rate of Schedule A at a disproportionate cost.

National Insurance

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much it would cost to raise the national insurance contributions threshold to an annual income of £12,570.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: Estimates of various policy changes can be approximated using the ‘Direct effects of illustrative tax changes’ publication which can be found on gov.uk. This includes the costs of increasing National Insurance contributions (NIC) thresholds for the employee entry threshold by £2 per week and lower profit limits by £104 per year. This can be used to scale the proportionate costs using the projected NIC threshold in 2022-23, which at the time of publication was £9,724, and increasing it by £2,846 to £12,570 in that year. Published estimates are based on the 2017-18 Survey of Personal Incomes, which are projected using economic assumptions consistent with the Office for Budget Responsibility’s March 2021 economic and fiscal outlook.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Sudan: Military Coups

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have take to ensure the (1) protection, and (2) release of (a) Prime Minister Hamdok, and (b) Yasir Arman, following the overthrow of the civilian government in Sudan.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We strongly condemn the actions of the Sudanese military on 25 October to detain Prime Minister Hamdok, Yasir Arman and members of the civilian government and unilaterally dissolve the transitional government. Together with the US and Norway we issued a Troika statement on 26 October condemning the actions taken by the military, calling for them to reverse course, to release detained politicians, and to ensure the Sudanese people can protest without fear of violence.Prime Minister Hamdok has been released but is currently under house arrest. As a signal of support, our Ambassador and other senior members of the diplomatic community in Khartoum met with Prime Minister Hamdok on 27 October and were able ascertain that he is well, notwithstanding the circumstances, but still detained. The whereabouts and condition of other civilian members of the transitional government are still unknown.Over the past two years, the UK has taken a leading role to support Sudan on their delicate path from oppressive autocratic rule to freedom and democracy. Having arrested the Prime Minister and others, the military have undermined the trust placed in them to deliver democracy, by the international community, and more importantly, by the people of Sudan. The acts of the military represents a betrayal of the Sudanese people and their journey to democracy.

Sudan: Military Coups

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have if any, to call a special session of the UN Human Rights Council regarding the situation in Sudan.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Together with partners, we are seeking a special session of the UN Human Rights Council as soon as possible in order to discuss the situation. The UK strongly condemns the military coup d'état and arrests of civilian members of Sudan's transitional government on 25 October. We have called on the security forces to immediately release those they have unlawfully detained. The Minister for Africa condemned this act in the strongest terms in the House of Commons on 25 October. We have since made public statements, including as the Troika with US/Norway on 26 October, calling for the restoration of transitional institutions, release of detainees and protection of civilians. Over the past two years, the UK has taken a leading role to support Sudan on their delicate path from oppressive autocratic rule to freedom and democracy. The actions of the military represents a betrayal of the Sudanese people and their journey to democracy.

Sudan: Foreign Relations

Baroness Goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government which (1) political parties, and (2) civil society members, will be included in the renewed UK–Sudan Strategic dialogue; and whether 50 per cent of those participants will be women.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The Minister for Africa visited Sudan on 19/20 October for the launch of the refreshed UK-Sudan Strategic Dialogue as an opportunity to deepen our bilateral relationship and support for Sudan's democratic transition. This was co-hosted with Foreign Minister, Mariam al-Sadiq al-Mahdi and discussions included the vital role of women and girls to Sudan's democratic future and the importance of inclusion. We will now reconsider the future of engagement such as the Strategic Dialogue in light of the actions of the Sudanese military on 25 October.

Sudan: Military Coups

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the military coup in Sudan, (2) the location and treatment of Prime Minister Hamdok and other arrested senior members of the civilian administration, and (3) the condemnation of the coup by the government of the United States of America; and what plans they have, if any, to negotiate a trade deal with Sudan.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We strongly condemn the actions of the Sudanese military on 25 October to detain Prime Minister Hamdok and members of the civilian government, declare a state of emergency and unilaterally dissolve the transitional government. The Minister for Africa condemned this act in the strongest terms in the House of Commons on 25 October. We have since made public statements, including as the Troika with US/Norway on 26 October, calling for the restoration of transitional institutions, release of detainees and protection of civilians. Over the past two years, the UK has taken a leading role to support Sudan on their delicate path from oppressive autocratic rule to freedom and democracy. The actions of the military represents a betrayal of the Sudanese people and their journey to democracy. We urge Sudan's military leadership to reverse their course, to release detained politicians, and to ensure Sudanese people can protest without fear of violence.Prime Minister Hamdok has been released but is currently under house arrest. As a signal of support, our Ambassador and other senior members of the diplomatic community in Khartoum met with Prime Minister Hamdok on 27 October and were able ascertain that he is well, notwithstanding the circumstances, but still detained. The whereabouts and condition of other civilian members of the transitional government are still unknown.Economic recovery remains a vital part of delivering stability for Sudan and the transitional goals of the agreement made between all sides in 2019. During her recent visit to Khartoum the Minister for Africa had the opportunity to discuss ways in which to improve the business environment and the role businesses can play in the success of the transition. We will consider the future of such engagement in light of the actions of the Sudanese military.

Sudan: Military Coups

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to impose Magnitsky sanctions on the military officials responsible for the overthrow of the civilian government in Sudan.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We strongly condemn the actions of the Sudanese military on 25 October to detain Prime Minister Hamdok and members of the civilian government, declare a state of emergency and unilaterally dissolve the transitional government. The actions of the military represents a betrayal of the Sudanese people and their journey to democracy. The UK will consider the full range of policy tools at our disposal to protect human rights and deter violations, including sanctions. It is longstanding practice not to speculate on future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce the impact of any action. We urge Sudan's military leadership to reverse their course, to release detained politicians, and to ensure Sudanese people can protest without fear of violence.

Myanmar: Politics and Government

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the political and humanitarian situation in Myanmar following the military coup in February; and what steps they will take, if any, to support the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in their efforts to end violence and restore democracy in that country.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is clear in its condemnation of the coup and the appalling violence by the military, which has left over 1000 people dead. We regularly monitor the situation in Myanmar and assess there is a continued political, Covid and humanitarian crisis. We're deeply concerned about escalating conflict across the country, particularly in Chin State. The UK is calling for a peaceful and inclusive resolution to the crisis which is extremely serious. We continue to call publicly for a return to democracy and the release of all those in arbitrary detention.

Lebanon: Explosions

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations have they made, if any, to the government of Lebanon to urge them to ensure that the judicial investigation into the causes of the Beirut port explosion on 4 August 2020 is transparent, independent and supported by all parties

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK has consistently pressed the Lebanese authorities on the need for a transparent conclusion of the investigation into the tragic Beirut explosion. The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa raised this when he met the new Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati on 25 September.

Yemen: Peace Negotiations

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatsteps they plan to take as a permanent member of the UN Security Council to prevent further violence in Yemen, with a particular focus on the areas of Shabwa and Marib; and whether they have requested that the UN Secretary General’s new Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grunberg, travel to Yemen to support regional peace efforts.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Houthis' offensive on Marib and Shabwa and their intensifying of cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia worsens the crisis and risks derailing the peace process. On 20 October the UK supported a UN Security Council Press Statement calling for an immediate end to the Houthi escalation in Marib. The Foreign Secretary also raised Yemen with Saudi counterparts on her visit to Riyadh on 20 October. We fully support the Yemen peace process led by the UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg. An inclusive political settlement is the only way to bring long-term stability to Yemen and end the humanitarian suffering. We urge the parties to engage constructively with this process and call on all states to release humanitarian funding commitments promptly.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatsteps they are taking, if any, to secure the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe following the loss of her appeal against a second jail sentence.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Iran's decision to proceed with these baseless charges against Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is an appalling continuation of the cruel ordeal she is going through.We are doing all we can to help Nazanin get home to her young daughter and family and the Foreign Secretary will continue to press Iran on this point, most recently discussing it with Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollain on 22 September. Our Ambassador in Tehran continues to regularly raise our detainees with the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Gaming Machines

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there are any gaming machines of any category as defined in the Gambling Act 2005 in any (1) catering, (2) retail, or (3) leisure facilities, in UK bases provided by the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes.

Baroness Goldie: I can confirm that some gaming machines are present in the facilities noted. However, I am unable to advise precisely how many there are as this information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. As indicated at the committee on the Armed Forces Bill on 2 November 2021, direction has been given by the Army for any gambling/ gaming machines on their bases to be removed.

China: Nuclear Weapons

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that the government of China is developing a new nuclear weapon delivery system.

Baroness Goldie: China is continuing to undertake a significant modernisation of its nuclear forces. We keep under review all global nuclear risks to the UK, our interests and our allies. The UK will continue to work with international partners to prevent proliferation and make progress on multilateral nuclear disarmament so we can take tangible steps toward a safer and more stable world.

Armed Forces: Cadets

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) cadet forces, and (2) combined cadet forces, are available in schools; what is the breakdown of the types of schools that operate such forces; and what is the (a) number of girls involved, and the (b) total number of young people involved.

Baroness Goldie: The Ministry of Defence sponsors 504 cadet units in schools across the UK. The vast majority of these are Combined Cadet Force (CCF) contingents which contain one or more sections from the Army, Royal Navy, Royal Marines, or Royal Air Force CCFs. Instead of CCF contingents, a small number of schools have Sea Cadet Corps (SCC) or Army Cadet Force (ACF) units or, in Scotland only, Linked Detachment units. Of these 504 cadet units, 474 are CCF contingents, 20 are SCC units, four are ACF units, and six are Linked Detachment units (five ACF units and one Air Training Corps unit). 303 (60%) are in state sector schools and 201 (40%) are in schools in the independent sector. There are 46,070 cadets in the CCF, of whom 16,380 (36%) are female. In community cadet units, there are a total of 74,040 cadets of whom 24,780 (33%) are female (all figures are as at 1 April 2021).

Armed Forces: Large Goods Vehicle Drivers

Earl Attlee: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Goldie on 14 October (HL2815), how many (1) regular, and (2) reserve, members of the Armed Forces who hold the rank equivalent to a full corporal or below hold a group C HGV licence; and how many hold a group C + E licence.

Baroness Goldie: Under Military Aid to Civilian Authority, Defence has made available approximately 250 military fuel tanker drivers and a similar number of support staff, to assist the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy with ensuring the continuity of fuel supplies around Great Britain. As part of ensuring that Defence has a suitably qualified workforce, we train personnel in a variety of different categories of driving licences. This is primarily to enable the safe operation of military vehicles and equipment in worldwide operations and qualified personnel are regularly deployed overseas. It would therefore be misleading to specify numbers of qualified personnel against specific driving license requirements currently held within Defence or specifically in the UK.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Fisheries

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to (1) protect, and (2) promote, the UK fishing industry.

Lord Benyon: Our fishing industry faced a challenging start to the year but now the dust has settled, we are seeing important developments being made on key areas such as the quota exchanges. The exchange mechanism we have put in place between the UK and EU has seen over 150 transfers completed so far this year. Using our powers as an independent coastal State, we will continue to strive for the most sustainable fishing industry in the world that supports the long-term future of the UK fishing industry. The Government has met its manifesto commitment to maintain fisheries funding with £32.7 million repatriated from the EU to support the fisheries industry across the UK. This funding was designed to enforce the protection of our fishing waters, deliver essential data collection activities, and enable each of the four fisheries administrations to set up their own funding scheme. The funding scheme for England – the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme (FaSS) – opened for applications on 6 April 2021 and is designed to support the long-term sustainability and success of seafood businesses throughout England and help safeguard our marine environment. Additionally, there is the £100 million UK Seafood Fund, to modernise, rejuvenate and support a more sustainable sector for the long term through its three pillars: Science and Innovation, Infrastructure, and Skills and Training. Both parts of The Science and Innovation pillar – The Seafood Innovation Fund and the Fisheries Industry Science Partnerships scheme - are now open for applications and will provide £24 million over three years for world-class research to improve the productivity and long-term sustainability of the industry. The Infrastructure pillar will be announced soon and will provide funding to boost capacity, support levelling up and reduce carbon emissions. The Skills and Training pillar will follow soon after, with investments aimed at attracting new entrants into the fishing industry and in doing so encourage employment opportunities in coastal communities.

Food

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish their response to the National Food Strategy: Part One report, published on 29 July.

Lord Benyon: Part One of Henry Dimbleby's independent review of the food system was published on 29 July 2020 and contained recommendations on trade and food security in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Government has already acted on these recommendations, with the announcement of the Covid Winter Support package on 8 November 2020 that ensured vulnerable households would not go hungry, and with announcements on trade last year, which included putting the Trade and Agriculture Commission onto a statutory footing. The second and final report from the independent review of the food system was published on 15 July 2021. We would like to thank Henry Dimbleby and his team for their work over the last year examining our food system and the vital role it plays in all our lives.We are considering the evidence Henry Dimbleby set out in both parts of his independent review, which will inform the Government’s Food Strategy that will be published in early 2022.The forthcoming Government Food Strategy is a once in a generation opportunity to create a food system that feeds our nation today and protects it for tomorrow. It will build on existing work across Government and identify new opportunities to make the food system healthier, more sustainable, more resilient, and more accessible for those across the UK. We will also look to drive growth and innovation across the agri-food chain and set a direction for key players within the food system.

Forests

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what they estimate the cost to be of creating 30,000 hectares of woodland per year; and whether sufficient money has been allocated to meet these costs.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We are committed to increasing tree planting across the UK to 30,000 hectares per year by the end of this parliament. We published our ambitious England Trees Action Plan on 18 May which sets out our plans to at least treble tree planting rates in England in support of this, using more than £500 million from the Nature for Climate Fund. In the recently published Net Zero Strategy, we also announced we will boost the Nature for Climate Fund with a further £124 million of new money, ensuring total spend of more than £750 million by 2025 on peat restoration, woodland creation and management - above and beyond what was promised in the manifesto. Each hectare of woodland created has different costs depending on the condition of the site, the woodland design, location, and scale. On average, it is estimated that to plant and establish a hectare of woodland it costs landowners approximately £9,500-£12,500/ha, although some more complex delivery mechanisms may have higher associated costs. We will continue to proactively monitor tree planting rates and take-up of grant schemes throughout this Parliament to ensure that funding allocated is both sufficient and maximizes the amount of woodland created and brought into effective management. Our goals can only be met through greater investment by the private sector in woodland creation and this means our grant offers will act to stimulate private investment, such as through payments for carbon captured by woodlands and building new markets for ecosystem services.

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species: Eurostar

The Earl of Clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Goldsmith of Richmond Park on 3 August (HL2199), whether they have yet determined whether it is "feasible to designate Eurostar [a CITES-designated port]"; and what progress they have made so far in achieving this.

The Earl of Clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many meetings ministers in theDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have held about the designation of new CITES ports in 2021; and which organisations these meetings were with.

The Earl of Clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish guidance on how ports can apply for CITES designated status.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We welcome the UN Environment Programme's Emissions Gap Report 2021. As this report makes clear, it is important that each country delivers on their 2030 Nationally Determined Contributions and net zero commitments. The UK’s pledge to cut emissions by at least 68% by 2030 is one of the most ambitious in the world. The UK has been pressing all leaders to commit to ambitious climate action ahead of COP26 to help keep 1.5°C in reach. We will continue to do this, at COP and throughout our Presidency year. Domestically, we are taking vital steps through our recently published Net Zero Strategy to play our part. My department has a crucial role to play in helping this government achieve its net zero target. As set out in the Net Zero Strategy, we will support our agriculture and land use sectors to reduce emissions, restore huge swathes of peat, create vast woodlands, and take action to reduce harmful waste and gases. This is central to our ambition to be the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than we found it.

Forests

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to address the funding gap for the updating of the Ancient Woodland Inventory.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: In the England Trees Action Plan (ETAP), we committed to update the ancient woodland inventory to cover the whole of England. The ETAP is our ambitious vision for trees in England, providing a framework for delivering our commitment to at least treble tree planting rates in England by the end of this Parliament, reflecting England’s contribution to meeting the UK’s overall target of planting 30,000 hectares per year by the end of this Parliament. It is supported by over £500 million from the Nature for Climate Fund, including the additional £124 million announced as part of the Net Zero Strategy, ensuring total spend of more than £750 million by 2025 on peat restoration, woodland creation, and management – above and beyond what was promised in the manifesto. For 2021/22, £250k will be used to map smaller ancient woodland sites of 0.25 hectares for Herefordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxford, Surrey, and will also specifically create a Long-Established Woodland layer for the whole of England. Plans for the next stage of the project in 2022/23 will be developed in the new year, with the support of Natural England, Woodland Trust, and local partners.

Dogs: Smuggling

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to counter puppy smuggling through the port of Belfast.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Defra is responsible for safeguarding animal welfare and biosecurity, including the commercial and non-commercial movement of cats, dogs and ferrets into Great Britain. However, pet travel is devolved, and we work with the devolved administrations to combat puppy smuggling.The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland (DAERA) is the competent authority for Belfast Port.The Government takes puppy smuggling seriously. We continue to work closely with our colleagues across the devolved administrations and non-governmental organisations to provide protection for those animals brought in by unscrupulous traders and to prevent the trade as much as we can.

Horticulture

Lord Framlingham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps, if any, they are taking (1) to support the Plant Healthy scheme, and (2) to press for its (a) widespread, and (b) mandatory, adoption.

Lord Benyon: Defra has supported the development of the Plant Health Management Standard, and Plant Healthy Certification Scheme, by providing funding and technical expertise.For example, we funded the development of e-learning modules designed to help organisations build their knowledge of the principles of plant health management and the regulatory framework.Defra will continue to provide financial support for the Scheme during its start-up phase. We are in the process of agreeing milestones and deliverables that will be required for this support, including appointment of a full-time Scheme Manager and delivery of a marketing and PR plan for the Scheme which we also commissioned.Current Government policy does not stipulate biosecurity standards for the sourcing of trees and plants. Defra aims to change central Government policy so that trees and plants for public contracts are only sourced from suppliers who can meet the requirements set out in the Plant Health Management Standard, which is the industry-backed, benchmark standard. One of the ways that suppliers will be able to demonstrate that they can meet this standard is by becoming Plant Healthy certified.A commitment to introducing the Plant Health Management Standard for suppliers of plants and trees under relevant government grants and contracts was recently published in the England Trees Action Plan.We intend to pilot this new procurement requirement for some of our Forestry Commission planting grants from early next year.

Home Office

Refugees: Afghanistan

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many local authorities have taken on Afghan refugee families; and how many of these families are still in (1) hotels, or (2) guest houses; and how many children in these families have not yet been found school places.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We continue to work with local authorities to source appropriate accommodation as quickly as possible for Afghan families who were evacuated to the UK.There are more than 11,000 individuals accommodated temporarily in bridging hotels across the UK, who were evacuated as part of Operation Pitting. Children who have recently arrived from Afghanistan are entitled to a full time education and one of our priorities is to ensure they receive it. The duty to provide sufficient education for all school-age children rests with local authorities and the government is working closely with local authorities in whose areas Afghan families are resident to ensure they can access education as soon as possible.In addition, we are urgently making available additional funds to support local authorities to provide educational support and help Afghan children and young people settle into their local schools and communities.The Minister of State for Prisons and Afghan Resettlement provided an update to the House of Commons in a Dear Colleague letter last week, and she will continue to update the House at regular intervals.

National Economic Crime Centre: Staff

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) full-time, and (2) part-time, individuals are directly employed by the National Economic Crime Centre.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: As at 30 September 2021, the figures for individuals directly employed by the National Economic Crime Centre are as follows:Full Time Headcount: 233Part Time Headcount: 29

Crime: Mobile Phones

Lord Fox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what data they are using to establish the time it takes police forces to return victims' phones.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office is working with police forces to collect preliminary data on timeliness to return adult rape victim mobile phones by early next year and with the National Police Chiefs’ Council to agree appropriate long-term data collection.

Forensic Science: Police

Lord Fox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what instructions they have issued to Police Chief Constables regarding systematic data gathering to measure forensic services.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We have not issued instructions to the Police Chief Constables regarding systematic data gathering to measure forensic services. The NPCC is responsible for measurement of forensic services for operational performance purposes.

Forensic Science

Lord Fox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what forensic services (1) input, and (2) output, data are measured systematically.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The measurement of forensic services for operational performance purposes is undertaken by the NPCC rather than the Home Office.

Forensic Science: Administration of Justice

Lord Fox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect that the level of the spend on forensic services has on the outcome of legal cases.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: As part of the Home Office’s project to measure the impact of forensic science on the CJS, we have worked with academia to develop an approach to assess the impact of forensic science from crime scene to court, but we have not made an assessment of the effect that the level of the spend on forensic services has on the outcome of legal cases.

Cabinet Office

Government Departments: Gender Recognition

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many biological men self-identifying as female have been recorded as women by (1) government departments, and (2) arms-length bodies, in their staff statistics, broken down by the relevant government department and arms-length body;and what assessment they have made ofthe consequences of this for pay gap reporting.

Lord True: The data requested is not held centrally.Guidance on Gender Pay Gap reporting from the Government Equalities Office states that reporting should not result in employees being questioned about their gender. The Civil Service uses employee’s gender identification from information employees have already provided for HR/payroll purposes, which is updated by individuals to reduce the risk of singling out employees. Aligned to the GEO guidance, the Civil Service has therefore not made any assessment of the consequences of self-identification on pay gap reporting.

UK Internal Trade

Lord Rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with private sector businesses to find technological solutions to the delivery rate of goods between Great Britain to Northern Ireland following the activation of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.

Lord Frost: The Government is working closely with businesses to understand their concerns with the Northern Ireland Protocol. This includes formal meetings through the NI Business Working Group, direct contact with Ministers and engagement across a number of departments. We continue to listen to businesses on this issue and reflect their concerns in ongoing negotiations with the EU, and some of these contacts have covered potential technological solutions in this area.

Department for International Trade

Trade Agreements: Australia and New Zealand

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the impact on British farmers of the Free Trade Agreements negotiated with (1) Australia, and (2) New Zealand.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: We have engaged closely with farmers seeking their views throughout negotiations. The Agreements will include protections for the agriculture industry, and we have a range of tools to defend British farming against any unfair trading practices. Following the conclusion of negotiations, full impact assessments will be published which set out the impacts of the Agreements.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Social Media: Advertising

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much each (1) department, and (2)regulatory body, spends on advertising on (a) Google, (b) Facebook, (c) Twitter, and (d) other social media platforms.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: DCMS has spent the following on advertising in FY 21/22:Google - £8,962.41Facebook - £10,443.81Twitter - £100Linkedin - £240The Gambling Commission and the ICO have given nil returns. DCMS do not have access to this level of information for Charity Commission, Ofcom and the PSA for FY 21/22, since these regulatory bodies are not obliged to give DCMS a breakdown of their expenditure in this way.The Department has also spent the sums below on advertising job vacancies - all costs are annual, unless stated otherwise:Civil Service Jobs (to post roles to the Civil Service Jobs website): £20,826Vercida (online job board where DCMS has a profile and posts content): £21,800LinkedIn (costs to place a vacancy on the LinkedIn platform): £19,392Other costs may be incurred for executive level roles where adverts are placed on online platforms, but these are agreed on an ad hoc basis.